Multipoint conference scalability for co-located participants

ABSTRACT

A terminal device associated with a participant of the multipoint session can be identified. The multipoint session can be associated with a video and an audio stream. The terminal device can be a computing device comprising of an audio and video input, and a video output. The multipoint session can be a conference associated with a telephony session. The location of the terminal device and a conferencing device can be determined. The conferencing device can be associated with an audio input and output. If the terminal device is proximate to the conferencing device, a terminal device audio stream can be terminated and a conference device audio stream can be received. A video stream and an audio stream can be simultaneously presented upon the audio and video output of the conferencing device and terminal device. The video and the audio stream can be a synchronized stream of the session.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to the field of and multipointconferencing, more particularly, to improving multipoint conferencescalability for co-located participants.

Multipoint conferencing, an invaluable collaboration tool, enablesmultiple remote persons to participate in a collaboration session.Typically multipoint conferencing takes the form of videoconferencing,which includes a visual component and audio component. The visualcomponent often includes a camera for capturing video and a display forpresenting the captured video. The audio component typically includes amicrophone to record audio (e.g., speech) and a speaker to play therecorded audio. Many times, a multipoint controller unit (MCU) isutilized to allow multiple persons in one location (e.g., boardroom) tocommunicate using one centralized terminal device (e.g., conferencephone).

BRIEF SUMMARY

One aspect of the present invention can include a method, a computerprogram product, a system, and an apparatus for enhancing multipointconferencing. In this aspect, a terminal device associated with aparticipant of the multipoint session can be identified. The multipointsession can be associated with a video and an audio stream. The terminaldevice can be a computing device comprising of an audio and video input,and a video output. The multipoint session can be a conferenceassociated with a telephony session. The location of the terminal deviceand a conferencing device can be determined. The conferencing device canbe associated with an audio input and output. If the terminal device isproximate to the conferencing device, a terminal device audio stream canbe terminated and a conference device audio stream can be received. Avideo stream and an audio stream can be simultaneously presented uponthe audio and video output of the conferencing device and terminaldevice. The video and the audio stream can be a synchronized stream ofthe session.

Another aspect of the present invention can include a system forenhancing multipoint conferencing comprising a presence engine, a bridgemanager, and a mapping structure. The presence engine can determine thelocation of a terminal device associated with a multipoint session. Theterminal device can be associated with an audio stream and a videostream. The multipoint session can be a conference associated with atelephony session. The bridge manager can add and remove a conferencingdevice from the session, where the conferencing device is associatedwith an audio stream. The mapping structure can link a conferencingdevice with at least one of a unique identifier and a location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for improving multipointconferencing scalability for co-located participants in accordance withan embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for improvingmultipoint session scalability for co-located participants in accordancewith an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a set of interfaces forimproving multipoint session scalability for co-located participants inaccordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

If a person is utilizing a personal device (e.g., laptop) to participatein a multipoint conference session within the same location (e.g.,co-located) as the terminal device, problems can arise. One commonproblem is the degradation of audio quality from audio feedback. Forexample, audio output from one person's laptop speaker can feed intoanother person's laptop microphone and cause feedback or echo for allusers participating in the conference. As such, the person must eitherterminate the use of the personal device or change location. In manyinstances, these solutions can be detrimental to the session and do notleverage existing infrastructure to allow flexible sessionconfigurations to exist.

The present disclosure is a solution for improving multipoint conferencescalability for co-located participants. In the solution, a multipointsession can utilize a centralized conferencing device to merge audiochannels for each terminal device (e.g. laptop) which is proximate tothe conferencing device. That is, a proximate conferencing device (e.g.,conference phone) can be used to convey audio while the terminal devicecan be used to convey video. As such, the disclosure can reduce thetotal audio channels for the session, improving scalability and reducingresource utilization. In one embodiment, the solution can be a componentof a Voice over Internet Protocol architecture.

In one embodiment, the solution can be utilized with a session whichimplements video switching capabilities (e.g., active speakerpresentation). In the embodiment, audio received from a proximateconferencing device can be analyzed to determine an active speakerutilizing proprietary and/or traditional audio stream selection.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storagemedium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a programfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing. Computer program code for carrying out operations foraspects of the present invention may be written in any combination ofone or more programming languages, including an object orientedprogramming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The program codemay execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user'scomputer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user'scomputer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remotecomputer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may beconnected to the user's computer through any type of network, includinga local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or theconnection may be made to an external computer (for example, through theInternet using an Internet Service Provider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart diagram illustrating a method 100 for improvingmultipoint conferencing scalability for co-located participants inaccordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosedherein. In method 100, a conferencing device (e.g., conference phone)can be utilized to reduce the quantity of audio streams of a multipointsession for co-located devices. As used herein, co-located can refer tothe presence of a terminal device (e.g., laptop) within proximity of aconferencing device (e.g., conference phone) associated with amultipoint session. Multipoint session can be a semi-permanentinteractive information exchange between three or more communicatingdevices. For example, the multipoint session can be a conference callbetween four participants, each utilizing a laptop to interact with eachother. The multipoint session can include an audio component, a videocomponent, and the like. The multipoint session can be a telephoneconference, a videoconference, a Web conference, and the like.

As used herein multipoint session can be associated with Voice overInternet Protocol (VoIP) technologies. VoIP can be one or moremethodologies for enacting communications and multimedia sessions overInternet Protocol. VoIP can include, but is not limited to,communication protocols, transmission technologies, and the like.Protocols can include, but is not limited to, Session InitiatedProtocol, H.323, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Real-time TransportProtocol (RTP), and Session Description Protocol (SDP).

In one instance, the conferencing device can be a telephony device ableto convey audio during a multipoint session. In the instance, an audiostream from the telephony device can be utilized simultaneously withvideo from the terminal device.

In step 105, a multipoint session can be established. The session can beinitiated by a participant interacting with an application such as avideoconferencing application executing on a terminal device. In step110, terminal devices associated with participants can be added to thesession. The terminal devices can be identified based one or more uniqueidentifiers. Unique identifiers can include, but is not limited to,telephone number, Internet Protocol (IP) address, Media Access Control(MAC) address, and the like. For instance, a contact list linkingparticipants to a terminal device can be maintained enabling rapidmanagement of participants and/or terminal devices. In one instance,terminal devices can be introduced into the session via a participantlist associated with a client (e.g., terminal device) and/or an inviteelist associated with a server (e.g., server 230).

In step 115, a terminal device can be selected. The terminal device canbe selected based on one or more criteria, including, but not limitedto, device identifier, participant information, and the like. In step120, if the terminal device location is different from a historiclocation (e.g., during call initiation), the method can proceed to step125, else return to step 115. The location of the terminal device can bedetermined utilizing one or more location-based technologies, including,but not limited to, Global Positioning System (GPS), Assisted GPS(A-GPS), BLUETOOTH, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and the like.In one instance, terminal device location can be obtained throughpolling the device for a current location. In another instance, terminaldevice location can be conveyed by the terminal device upondetermination of location change.

In step 125, if a proximate conferencing device is identified, themethod can proceed to step 130, else return to step 120. Step 120, 125can be repeated until a proximate conferencing device (e.g., conferencephone) is identified. The proximity of the terminal device to aconferencing device can be determined based on one or more configurablesettings. In one instance, the proximity of the terminal device to theconferencing device can be determined based on a physical distance. Inthe instance, one or more threshold values can be utilized to establishproximity. For instance, a conferencing device can be in proximity ifthe terminal device is less than four feet away. In one embodiment,traditional proxemics values (e.g., personal distance, social distance)can be utilized to determine threshold.

In step 130, the identified proximate conferencing device can beactivated if the conferencing device is not in use. Activation caninclude one or more actions permitting the inclusion of the conferencingdevice to the multipoint session. In one instance, the conferencingdevice identifier (e.g., alias, phone number) can be automaticallydetermined based on the terminal device location. In the instance, theconferencing device identifier can be used to automatically associatethe conferencing device to the multipoint session. For instance, amapping can be utilized to determine the phone number of the identifiedproximate conferencing device which can be used to dial the conferencingdevice into the session. In another instance, the conferencing devicecan be manually activated and joined to the multipoint session via oneor more participant actions.

In step 135, the audio stream associated with the terminal device can beterminated. That is, video for a participant can be captured from theterminal device and audio for the participant can be recorded from theconferencing device. In one instance, multipoint session can supportvideo switching which can be visually indicating a participant ofinterest (e.g., active speaker). In the instance, video switching can bemaintained while simultaneously using terminal device for video inputand conferencing device for audio input.

In step 140, if there are more terminal devices associated with thesession, the method can return to step 115, else continue to step 145.Step 115-140 can be continuously performed during the multipointsession, permitting dynamic resource allocation during the session. Instep 145, the session can be terminated and the method can end.

Drawings presented herein are for illustrative purposes only and shouldnot be construed to limit the invention in any regard. It should beappreciated that method 100 can be performed in real-time or nearreal-time during a multipoint session. It should be appreciated thatsteps 115-140 can be performed at any time during a multipoint session.In one instance, steps 115-140 can be performed at commencement of thesession. In another instance, steps 115-140 can be responsive to adevice joining the session after the session has commenced.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system 200 for improvingmultipoint session scalability for co-located participants in accordancewith an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein.System 200 can be present in the context of method 100. In system 200,terminal device 210 can be used concurrently with conferencing device250 to permit multipoint session scalability to be achieved. System 200components can be communicatively linked via network 270. In oneembodiment, system 200 can conform to a conventional Voice over InternetProtocol (VOIP) capable system.

As used herein, session 236 can be a multipoint session associated withcomputing device 210, 230, 250. It should be appreciated that computingdevice 210 can include multiple computing devices operated byparticipants (e.g., human agents) of the session 236. For instance, fourparticipants can utilize personal laptops (e.g., video) and a conferencephone (e.g., audio) while occupying a conference room during amultipoint session. Session 236 can include, but is not limited to,session information 237, session history, session configuration, and thelike.

Video 262 can be a digitally encoded artifact of input received fromcomponent video input 215. Video 262 characteristics can include, but isnot limited to, frames per second, interlacing, resolution, aspectratio, color space, compression, bit rate, and the like. Video 262 canconform to one or more traditional and/or proprietary encoding formats,including, but not limited to, H.264, Motion Picture Expert Group 4(MPEG-4), H.261, H.263, and the like.

Audio 260 can be a digitally encoded artifact of input received fromcomponent audio input 252. Audio 260 characteristics can include, but isnot limited to, sample rate, dynamic range, compression, and the like.Audio 260 can conform to one or more traditional and/or proprietaryformats including, but not limited to, MPEG-4, Adaptive Multi-Rate(AMR), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), Enhanced Variable Rate CODEC (EVRC),3GPP, and the like. In one embodiment, audio 260 can be received,encoded, and communicated to multipoint server 230 in real-time or nearreal-time.

Conferencing device 250 can be hardware/software component associatedwith multipoint session permitting recording and presenting of audio.Device 250 can include, but is not limited to, audio input 252, audiooutput 254, interface 256, digital signal processor (DSP), memory, andthe like. Device 250 can include, but is not limited to, a VoIPtelephone, telepresence system, and the like. In the instance, device250 can be a hardware phone, software phone, and any combinationthereof. In another instance, device 250 can be a videophone withconferencing capabilities. In yet another instance, device 250 can be acomponent of a videoconferencing system. It should be appreciated device250 can include video components (e.g., camera, display) which can beselectively disabled.

Audio input 252 can be one or more hardware/software components able toreceive sound (e.g., voice). Input 252 can include, but is not limitedto, dynamic microphone, piezoelectric microphone, and the like. Audioinput 252 can receive audio input from proximate participants which canbe conveyed to server 230 as audio 260. In one instance, audio 260 canbe processed prior to transmission. Processing can include, but is notlimited to, noise cancellation, encryption, and the like.

Audio output 254 can be one or more hardware/software components able topresent sound. Audio output 254 can be an output device such as aloudspeaker. Audio output 254 can convey audio (not shown) received frommultipoint server 230 associated with session 236.

Interface 256 can be a hardware/software component for interacting withconferencing device 250. Interface 256 can include, but is not limitedto, input components, output components and the like. Input componentscan include, but is not limited to, keyboard, keypad (e.g., dialpad),and the like. Output components can include, but is not limited to,loudspeakers, display, and the like. In one embodiment, interface 256can be utilized to manually join device 250 to a multipoint session 236.In the embodiment, device 250 can be utilized for audio input and device210 can be used for video input simultaneously.

Multipoint server 230 can be a hardware/software component for bridgingvideo and audio associated with session 236. Multipoint server 230 caninclude, but is not limited to, bridge manager 232, presence engine 234,A/V engine 235, session 236, configuration settings 238, data store 240,and the like. In one instance, multipoint server can be a component of aH.323 gatekeeper. In another instance, multipoint server can be acomponent of a multipoint control unit (MCU). In one instance, server230 can be a network element within a local area network (LAN) and/orwide area network (WAN). In one embodiment, multipoint server 230 can bea component of IBM LOTUS UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS AND COLLABORATION (UCC)software. It should be appreciated that components 232-240 can beoptional components.

Bridge manager 232 can be a hardware/software component for managingsession 236 control. Manager 232 functionality can include, but is notlimited to, initiating session 236, terminating session 236,manipulating device 210 session interaction, handling device 250 sessioninteraction, address translation, protocol conversion, call management,authentication, encryption, and the like. In one instance, manager 232can automatically dial conferencing device 250 address and associate thedevice 250 with session 236. In the instance, manager 232 can signalterminal device 210 to terminate audio input and trigger conferencingdevice 250 to initiate receiving audio input.

Presence engine 234 can be a hardware/software entity for trackingdevice 210 location. Presence engine 234 can monitor presenceinformation 237 for each participant associated with device 210. Engine234 can be configured to respond to one or more participant statesand/or locations. In one embodiment, engine 234 can trigger device 210to terminate receiving of audio input from a participant if in proximityof device 250 and initiate collection of audio input if not in proximityof audio device 250. In one instance, presence engine 234 can be anexternal resource (e.g., presence server).

Presence information 237 can be one or more datasets associated withterminal device 210 of session 236. Presence information 237 caninclude, but is not limited to, location, user state, and the like.Location can include, but is not limited to, a geographic location,coordinates (e.g., Cartesian coordinates), a zone, and the like.Presence information 237 can be automatically populated by presenceengine 234. Information 237 can be used to determine if a terminaldevice is proximate to a conferencing device 260. For instance,information 237 can be evaluated against known locations of conferencingdevices to determine if a participant is close to a conference phone.

A/V engine 235 can be a hardware/software component for synchronizingaudio 260 with video 262. Engine 235 can utilize conventional and/orproprietary synchronization mechanisms, including, but not limited to,time-stamping, relative time-stamping, and the like. In one embodiment,engine 235 can create synchronized A/V 246 which can be conveyed todevices 210, 260. In the embodiment, synchronized A/V 246 can beconveyed in real-time to appropriate devices 210, 260. In one instance,engine 235 can utilize audio synchronizer functionality to enableaudio-to-video synchronization (e.g., lip synchronization) to beachieved. Engine 235 can operate in real-time or near real-timepermitting system 200 functionality to be transparent. Engine 235 canuse one or more traditional and/or proprietary mechanisms foralleviating latency, jitter, and other synchronization problemsassociated with network connectivity.

In one embodiment, engine 235 can be utilized to determine an activespeaker from an audio 260 stream. In the embodiment, engine 235 canemploy one or more intelligent algorithms to determine a best choiceactive speaker for the audio 260 stream. Algorithms can perform audioanalysis (e.g., speech processing) including, but not limited to,amplitude analysis, utterance duration, and the like.

Synchronized A/V 246 can be a dataset of synchronized audio and videogenerated by engine 235. Synchronized A/V 246 can include, but is notlimited to, an audio stream, a video stream, presence information,metadata, and the like. In one instance, A/V 246 can be individuallycommunicated to appropriate devices 210, 260. In the instance, the videostream of A/V 246 can be conveyed to device 210 and the audio stream ofA/V 246 can be communicated to conferencing device 260 simultaneously.That is, audio and video output is synchronized resulting in a solutionsimilar to traditional multipoint sessions.

Configuration settings 238 can be one or more options for manipulatingthe behavior of server 230. Configuration settings 238 can include, butis not limited to user configuration settings, system settings, and thelike. Settings 238 can include, but is not limited to, sessionconfiguration, dial plans, call policies, Quality of Service (QoS)policies, alias information, and the like.

Data store 240 can be a tangible storage medium for persisting mapping242. Data store 240 can include, but is not limited to, RelationalDatabase Management System (RDMBS), Object Oriented Database ManagementSystem (OODBMS), and the like. Data store 240 can be a component of aNetwork Attached Storage (NAS), Storage Attached Network (SAN), and thelike.

Mapping 242 can be a dataset permitting linking of terminal device andconference device within session 236. Mapping 242 can include, but isnot limited to, terminal device identifier, terminal device location,terminal device properties, participant information, sessioninformation, conference device identifier, conference device location,conference device properties, and the like. Mapping 242 can be used toassociate terminal device to a conference device to enable simultaneoususe of terminal device (e.g., video) and conference device (e.g.,audio). For example, mapping entry 244 can associate a tablet computer(e.g., Dev_A) with a conference phone (e.g., ConfD_A) to enablesimultaneous use of tablet and phone resources. Mapping 242 can beautomatically and/or manually established. In one instance, mapping 242can be continually updated in real-time to enable rapid adaptation tochanges in terminal device 210 location.

Terminal device 210 can be a computing device associated with amultipoint session. Terminal device 210 can be, but is not limited to, adesktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computing device, a mobilephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP) capable device, and the like. Device 210 can include, but is notlimited to, hardware 211, software 220, and interface 224. Hardware 205can include, but is not limited to processor 212, non-volatile memory211, volatile memory 213, bus 214, video input 215, video output 216,GPS receiver 217, transceiver 218, and the like. Software 220 caninclude, but is not limited to, operating system 221, multipointapplication 222, and the like. In one embodiment, terminal device 210can be a laptop computer executing a multipoint application 222. Itshould be appreciated that terminal device 210 can include audioinput/output components, but have been selectively omitted for clarity.

Processor 212 can be a portion of a computing system able to executeinstructions of a computing program (e.g., application 222). Processor212 can include, but is not limited to, central processing unit (CPU),microprocessor, graphics processing unit (GPU), and the like. Processor212 can be utilized to process input from A/V input 215 and output fromA/V output 216. Processing can include, but is not limited to, noisecancellation, buffering, and the like.

Non-volatile memory 211 can be a static storage medium for persistingsession data (e.g., configuration settings) associated with session 236.Memory 211 can include, but is not limited to, flash memory, hard diskdrive, and the like.

Volatile memory 213 can be a dynamic storage medium for temporarilypersisting session data (e.g., video input) associated with session 236.Memory 213 can include, but is not limited to, random access memory(RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), and the like.

Bus 214 can be an interconnected subsystem for communicatively linkingcomponents 212-218. Bus 214 can be serial and/or parallel permittinghigh speed communications to and from components 212-218. In oneinstance, bus 214 can communicate data from components 215,216 tocomponents 212-214, 218.

Video input 215 can be a hardware component for receiving video inputfrom a participant. Video input 215 can be a component such as acharge-coupled device (CCD). In one embodiment, data from video input215 can be received, encoded, and communicated in real-time or nearreal-time. In the embodiment, received input can be encoded viaprocessor 212 and communicated using transceiver 218 in real-time toserver 230 as video 262.

Video output 216 can be a hardware component for presenting a videoportion of synchronized A/V 246 associated with session 236. Output 216can receive A/V 246 from multipoint-server and present the video portionwithin output 216. For example, video of a participant can be presentedwithin an application 222 interface (e.g., interface 224) upon output216. Output 216 can include, but is not limited to, computer display,display of a specialized communication device, and the like. Output 216can conform to traditional and/or proprietary technologies including,but not limited to, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Organic Light EmittingDiode (LED), and the like.

GPS receiver 217 can be a device able to receive GPS data based on anautomatically determined the location or a user specified location. GPSdata can include, but is not limited to, mapping data, GPS coordinatedata, and the like. In one instance, GPS receiver 217 can be an externaldevice communicatively linked to device 210.

Transceiver 218 can be a component permitting communication betweencomponents 230, 250. Transceiver 218 can be a computer networkingtransceiver, Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver, and the like.

Application 222 can be a software entity permitting communication ofaudio (not shown) and video 262 to multipoint server 230. Application222 can be responsive to device 210 location based on one or morecustomizable configurations. In one instance, device 210 canautomatically terminate/activate an audio input associated with device210 if proximity of device 250 changes. In one embodiment,termination/activation of audio can be based on utterances. In oneconfiguration of the embodiment, application 222 can determine pauses inan audio stream received by an audio input component (e.g., microphone)and intelligently activate/terminate audio input. In the instance, aninterface notification can be presented, alerting a participant that theaudio stream of a proximate device 250 can be utilized. In one instance,application 222 can be IBM SAMETIME software.

Network 270 can be a hardware/software component for permittingcommunication between components 210, 230, 250. Network 270 can include,but is not limited to, wired technologies, wireless technologies, andany combination thereof. Wired technologies can include, but is notlimited to, twisted pair, coaxial cable, optical fiber, and the like.Wireless technologies can include, but is not limited to, cellularsystems, Personal Communication Service (PCS) system, wireless localarea network (WLAN) terrestrial microwave, and the like. Network 270 canutilize communication protocols including, but not limited to, Real-timeTransport Protocol (RTP), RTP Control Protocol (RTCP), User DatagramProtocol, Internet Protocol, H.323, Session Initiated Protocol, and thelike.

Drawings presented herein are for illustrative purposes only and shouldnot be construed to limit the invention in any regard. System 200 can bea component of a distributed network, distributed computing environment,cloud computing environment, and the like. It should be appreciated thatsystem 200 functionality can be implemented within an existingmultipoint architecture. It should be noted that system 200communication can be bi-directional and/or real-time. Further, system200 can enable interaction with third party software and/or multipointconferencing units which can lack video switching functionality.

In one instance, server 230 can automatically detect resource capacitylimits and notify relevant participants through an interface noticepresented upon device 210 (e.g., interface 224). In the instance, thenotice can present a participant with a suggested proximate conferencingdevice 250. For example, if server 230 resources are limited, one ormore participants can be notified that a conference phone associatedwith session 236 is proximate.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a set of interfaces 310, 340for improving multipoint session scalability for co-located participantsin accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosedherein. Interface 310, 340 can be present in the context of method 100and system 200. Interface 310, 340 can be a screen associated with aconfiguration window. Interface 310, 340 can be associated withclient-side settings, server-side settings and the like. In oneinstance, interface 310, 340 can be presented within interface 224. Inanother instance, interface 310, 340 can be presented within aninterface (not shown) associated with server 230. In one instance,interface 310, 340 can be associated with one or more zones within anetwork configuration.

In interface 310, conferencing device configuration can be establishedand/or manipulated. Manipulation can include, but is not limited to,adding a conferencing device, modifying a conference deviceconfiguration, deleting a conference device, and the like. In oneinstance, interface 310 can be a server-side setting associated withserver 230. In the instance, interface 310 can permit modification ofmapping 242.

In section 312, available conference devices registered with system 200can be presented. In the section 312, conference device selection can beperformed. Selection of a conference device can permit actions 322-324to be initiated.

Element 320 can permit the automated and/or manual addition of aconferencing device. In one instance, element 320 can present a pop-updialog enabling conferencing device details to be inputted. In anotherinstance, element 320 can present a pop-up dialog presenting a series ofautomatically detected conferencing devices. If a conferencing device isadded, the device can be registered with system 200 and presented withinsection 312.

Element 322 can allow modification of registered conferencing devicesthrough device selection in section 312. Element 222 can enable dynamicconferencing device setting adjustments to be performed. In oneinstance, element 222 can present a pop-up dialog showing currentconferencing device settings. In the instance, user input can bereceived to change conferencing device settings. For instance, if aconferencing device identity changes, element 322 can be utilized tomanually update the setting to reflect the change.

Element 324 can permit de-registration of conferencing devices fromsystem 200. Element 324 can remove selected conferencing device insection 312 from being presented. In one instance, conferencing devicesettings can be removed if element 324 is selected. In another instance,conferencing device settings can be automatically persisted. Forexample, element 324 can be utilized to remove conferencing deviceswhich have been removed and/or replaced due to device failure.

In interface 340, terminal device configuration settings can beestablished and/or manipulated. In interface 340, settings 342-346 canbe utilized if a terminal device joins and/or leaves the proximity of aconference device. Settings 342-346 can be dynamically applied enablingflexible real-time configuration options. It should be appreciated that,interface 340 is not limited to terminal device settings and caninclude, session settings, conference device settings, and the like.

Setting 342 can enable the preservation of video mechanics if utilizinga proximate conferencing device. If setting 342 is enabled, system 230can automatically detect the appropriate video implementation in use forsession 236. In one instance, if video switching, such as an “activespeaker” functionality, is utilized within a session, video switchingcan be maintained utilizing setting 342.

Setting 344 can permit user (e.g., participant) notification if audioinputs are changed due to proximity with a conferencing device. Setting344 can include one or more options to notify a user if audio input isterminated and/or initiated on a terminal device. For instance, anaudible sound (e.g., beep) can be presented if a user moves out ofproximity of a conferencing device and audio input is initiated on theterminal device.

Setting 346 can present one or more proximate conferencing devices whichcan be available based on terminal device proximity. In one instance,setting 346 can permit manual selection of proximate conferencingdevices. In another instance, setting 346 can allow automated selectionof a conferencing device to be presented. For instance, setting 346 canpresent an alias (e.g., Conf. Room A) of proximate conferencing devices,enabling a participant to easily identify the conferencing device.

Drawings presented herein are for illustrative purposes only and shouldnot be construed to limit the invention in any regard. Interface 310,340 can be a graphical user interface, text based user interface, voiceuser interface, mixed-mode interface, and the like. Functionalityexpressed within interface 310, 340 can be present within file menus,context menus, menu bars, toolbars, and the like. Interface 310, 340 caninclude one or more graphical user interface elements including, but notlimited to, checkboxes, radio dialogs, combo boxes, and the like.Interface 310, 340 can receive input and/or selection via traditionaland/or proprietary mechanisms, including, keyboard, mouse, gesture, andthe like.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the FIGS. 1-3 illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a presence engine configuredto determine the location of a terminal device associated with amultipoint session, wherein the terminal device is associated with anaudio stream and a video stream, wherein the multipoint session is aconference associated with a telephony session; a bridge manager able toadd and remove a conferencing device from the session, wherein theconferencing device is associated with an audio stream; and a mappingstructure configured to link a conferencing device with at least one ofa unique identifier and a location, wherein the unique identifier of themapping is at least one of a Media Access Layer (MAC) address and anInternet Protocol (IP) address.
 2. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising: an A/V engine capable of synchronizing a video streamassociated with the terminal device utilized by a participant of thesession and an audio stream associated with the conferencing device,wherein the audio stream is speech associated with the participant. 3.The system of claim 1, wherein the location of the mapping is at leastone of a geographic location, coordinates, and a zone.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the bridge manager triggers the termination of an audiostream of at least one of a terminal device and a conferencing device.5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the presence engine,bridge manager, and mapping is associated with a multipoint controllerunit.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge manager is associatedwith a H.323 gatekeeper.
 7. An apparatus comprising: a computer readablestorage medium for storing at least one computer program product; aprocessor operable to execute the computer program product to cause aninterface window to be displayed by the display hardware; and thecomputer program product that upon being executed by a processor isoperable to identify a terminal device associated with a participant ofthe multipoint session, wherein the multipoint session is associatedwith a video stream and an audio stream, wherein the terminal device isa computing device comprising of an audio input, video input, and avideo output, wherein the multipoint session is a conference associatedwith a telephony session; the computer program product that upon beingexecuted by a processor is operable to determine the location of theterminal device and a conferencing device, wherein the conferencingdevice is associated with an audio input and an audio output; and thecomputer program product that upon being executed by a processor isoperable to terminate an audio stream associated with the audio input ofterminal device and receiving an audio stream from the audio input of aconference device if the terminal device is proximate to theconferencing device; and the computer program product that upon beingexecuted by a processor is operable to simultaneously present a videostream upon the video output of the terminal device and an audio streamupon the audio output of the conferencing device, wherein the videostream and the audio stream is synchronized, wherein the video streamand audio stream is associated with the session.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 7, further comprising: display hardware within with an interfacewindow of a graphical user interface is displayed to a user; and theinterface window automatically presenting at least one proposedconferencing device proximate to the location of at least one terminaldevice.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the proposed proximateconferencing device is automatically associated with the multipointsession.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the session is associatedwith a video switching capability, wherein the video switchingcapability visually indicates a video stream associated with aparticipant of interest, wherein the video switching capability ismaintained in response to an audio stream associated the audio input ofthe terminal device is terminated.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7, whereinthe synchronization is a lip synchronization.
 12. A computer programproduct comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage mediumhaving computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computerusable program code comprising: computer usable program code stored inthe non-transitory storage medium that upon being executed by aprocessor is operable to identify a terminal device associated with aparticipant of the multipoint session, wherein the multipoint session isassociated with a video stream and an audio stream, wherein the terminaldevice is a computing device comprising of an audio input, video input,and a video output, wherein the multipoint session is a conferenceassociated with a telephony session; computer usable program code storedin the non-transitory storage medium that upon being executed by aprocessor is operable to determine the location of the terminal deviceand a conferencing device, wherein the conferencing device is associatedwith an audio input and an audio output; and computer usable programcode stored in the non-transitory storage medium that upon beingexecuted by a processor is operable to terminate an audio streamassociated with the audio input of terminal device and receiving anaudio stream from the audio input of a conference device if the terminaldevice is proximate to the conferencing device; and computer usableprogram code stored in the non-transitory storage medium that upon beingexecuted by a processor is operable to simultaneously present a videostream upon the video output of the terminal device and an audio streamupon the audio output of the conferencing device, wherein the videostream and the audio stream is synchronized, wherein the video streamand audio stream is associated with the session.
 13. The computerprogram product of claim 12, further comprising: computer usable programcode stored in the non-transitory storage medium that upon beingexecuted by a processor is operable to automatically present at leastone proposed conferencing device proximate to the location of at leastone terminal device.
 14. The computer program product of claim 13,wherein the proposed proximate conferencing device is automaticallyassociated with the multipoint session.
 15. The computer program productof claim 12, wherein the session is associated with a video switchingcapability, wherein the video switching capability visually indicates avideo stream associated with a participant of interest, wherein thevideo switching capability is maintained in response to an audio streamassociated the audio input of the terminal device is terminated.
 16. Asystem comprising: a presence engine configured to determine thelocation of a terminal device associated with a multipoint session,wherein the terminal device is associated with an audio stream and avideo stream, wherein the multipoint session is a conference associatedwith a telephony session; a bridge manager able to add and remove aconferencing device from the session, wherein the conferencing device isassociated with an audio stream; and means for automatically terminatingan audio stream associated with audio input of the terminal deviceassociated with the multipoint session and a means for receiving acorresponding audio stream from a conference device if the terminaldevice is proximate to the conferencing device; and means for presentinga video stream upon the terminal device wherein the video stream and thecorresponding audio stream are synchronized, and wherein the videostream and audio stream are streams of the multipoint session.